LYNN.L.NAKAMURA@GMAIL.COM

LYNN.L.NAKAMURA@GMAIL.COM

Olympics

Nearly 60% of Olympic Games have ended as financial, social, and environmental failures.

Billions of dollars are spent to build an Olympic Park that lays unused after the games.

The Never Finished Projectis an ongoing partnership between the International Olympic Committee and smart city think tanks.

It seeks to solve this problem by blending smart city tech from Sidewalk Labs with the Olympic Park blueprints to create infrastructure that is both environmentally and economically beneficial for the surrounding communities — both during and after the games.

Young Ones adc — design for good finalist

To leverage the influx of people during the games, sidewalks will be built with smart kinetic tiles. The energy generated by walking on these tiles within the Olympic Park can power infrastructure ranging from street lights to buildings.

Commercial trash bins will be replaced with smart waste receptacles that alert waste management when they are filled to capacity. More people means more trash. so during the Olympics, sensors ensure the trashcans don’t overflow.

After the Olympics, trash routes are streamlined to become more efficient.

Modular infrastructure: It’s building while keeping in mind that nothing lasts forever — updates are inevitable, and buildings should be able to adapt as technology continues to evolve. All buildings will be constructed in this way, specifically working well within the Olympic Village Dorms.By repurposing the buildings meant to house 3,000 athletes,the IOC can later provide 750 local families with updated housing for the years to come.

The Never Finished Project will restore honor and pride to the hosting of the Olympics.

So when 3.5 billion people tune in to watch the world’s top athletes, they can also experience the world’s top technology.